French lavender: when and how to prune

French lavender: when to prune it?

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A light trim in April, once the frosts are over, and a shaping trim after the main flush of flowers in late August.

What else to prune in those months? April · August

French lavender: how to prune it?

1. During flowering, snip off spent spikes with a short piece of stem.
2. In late August, shorten the whole shrub by about a third, always above green leaves.
3. In April, cut off frosted or dead tips back to healthy green growth.
4. This keeps the shrub compact and stops it going bare at the base too soon.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: April and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in April and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• French lavender flowers in May–August, when it attracts bees and butterflies.
• If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Lavandin
• Lavender
• Blackcurrant
• Blackthorn
• Bluebeard
• Box (buxus)

Plant profile: French lavender · Pruning calendar and basic rules